About Houston Metro ICAC

Launched in 1998, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program (ICAC Program), started with only 10 Task Forces across the United States, but today it is a national network of 61 coordinated Task Forces representing more than 3,000 federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. These agencies are engaged in reactive, proactive, and forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions. By helping state and local agencies to develop effective, sustainable responses to online child victimization and child pornography, OJJDP has increased their capacity to address Internet crimes against children.

Since 1998, ICAC Task Forces have reviewed more than 180,000 complaints of alleged child sexual victimization resulting in the arrest of more than 16,500 individuals. In Fiscal Year 2008, the ICAC Program trained over 26,000 law enforcement personnel, over 2,200 prosecutors, and more than 8,000 other professional working in the ICAC field. In the first three quarters of Fiscal Year 2009, the number of trained law enforcement personnel increased to over 28,000, while 1,832 prosecutors have been trained.

In Fiscal Year 2008, ICAC investigations led to more than 3,108 arrests, over 14,339 forensic examinations, and the identification of over 1,000 real children who were victims of some form of abuse and neglect. As of the end of the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2009, ICAC investigations contributed to the arrests of nearly 3,300 individuals, with almost one-third of those arrests (1,275) resulting in the acceptance of a plea agreement by the defendant in lieu of a trial.

In Fiscal Year 2013, 1,188 ICAC investigations led to more than 160 arrests, over 733 forensic examinations, and the identification of over 172 real children who were victims of some form of abuse and neglect.

The commander of the ICAC is Sergeant Richard Hahn and the Program Specialist is Cristina Gray. The original initial agencies were the Pasadena ISD, Harris County Precinct 4 Constables Office, Harris County District Attorney’s Office, La Porte Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. It has since grown to over 52 affiliate law enforcement and other agencies throughout our region and has come to include federal partners such as the Houston Office of the United States Secret Service, The Office of Homeland Security Investigations (formerly known as ICE), and the Houston FBI field office. The Task Force also has partnered with the Children’s Assessment Center of Houston and the Depelchin Center.

In the State of Texas, there are three separate ICAC Taskforces. The map below illustrates all three jurisdictions:

Gray Area: Dallas Police Department; Jurisdiction: Texas, Northern

Blue Area: Office of the Attorney General of Texas; Jurisdiction: Texas, Southern